Durant, Paul play, win differently

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OKLAHOMA CITY
Kevin Durant is my second favorite NBA player after
Chris Paul. Love Durant; hope he scores 50 every game.

He had 32 in the Thunder's 112-101 win.

What incredible talent, and it's so cool that he's grounded and just real people like Paul, the kind of guy who doesn't think he's any better than the folks paying to watch him play.

So I'm glad Durant was able to take a bow in Game 2, the crowd here playing a huge part in paying tribute to him and reminding the Thunder it was playing a game it just had to win.

And an announcement inside the arena urging fans not to leave because of a serious storm outside gave everyone yet another chance to shower their heroes with affection.

But after watching Durant's blubbering, weeping, thankful ode to the world after being honored as the NBA's most valuable player and professing his love for his mother in such an emotional way, I believe the Clippers have this series won.

Durant deserves every nice thing said about him after his heartfelt 26-minute speech a day earlier. He's truly a sweetheart.

But what has
Kobe Bryant, the monster championship competitor, taught us?

To win a championship you must be disliked, obsessed and consumed with destroying the opposition. You must think winning a basketball game is the most important thing taking place in the world.

You must be a single-minded, almost rabid, snarling dog and here Durant was telling everyone this week he dedicated this season to becoming a better human being rather than working to be a better basketball player.

I'm not sure Durant could play with Kobe. I'm not sure anyone can play with Kobe. But can a championship team be led by someone who wouldn't stuff his own mother if she had the last shot to win for her team?

Paul would do it, or certainly make the effort to steal the ball from her, and when asked later about it he would be surprised. “What would you expect?'' I would guess he would reply. “I was trying to win.''

It's helpful, of course, that Durant has a bad-acre in
Russell Westbrook on his side, who plays the game like
Ben Howland is covering him – angry, bitter and determined to show Howland he can't keep him from scoring ever again.

But doesn't that attitude have to come from the best player on the team?

“I'll be ready to play in Game 3,'' said Paul, and it sounded more like a threat than a promise.

Paul might be the most thoughtful player in sports, but he would perform open heart surgery on one of his teammates if he felt they weren't giving their all. When
DeAndre Jordan committed a needless foul, Paul stared at him like Superman might a steel door in an attempt to melt it.

Paul plays as if he must win, and win every little battle, while Durant gets a hip check, goes flying into the stands and then nods approval to the referee who explains he saw no foul.

Before Game 2 the Durant love fest continued with NBA Commissioner
Adam Silver presenting him with the MVP trophy. The trophy depicts a player dribbling, which is odd because it's usually won by a shooter, and not many more pure right now than Durant.

Durant had kind and teary words for every teammate a day earlier, and a hug and kiss for his mom just before tipoff. He's the kind of player who might be invited to appear on “The View,'' because he seems to be in touch with his feelings.

“I knew they were going to come with (emotional carryover from Durant being named MVP),” Clippers coach
Doc Rivers said. “But I also didn't think we were very mentally tough.”

And there it is, toughness the difference in winning it all and you know you will get that from Paul.

Now when Durant becomes a free agent and signs with either
Phil Jackson or
Jim Buss, and no laughter, please, championship expectations in New York or Los Angeles are going to be much higher.

We might have to have him sit in the right-field pavilion to toughen him up, or force him to drive the 5 up from Orange County as Kobe did before proving his championship mettle and hiring a helicopter.

But that's down the Lakers' rebuilding road, as rocky as that is going to be, but right now the Clippers need a little more nastiness and little less outside shooting from
Blake Griffin as they roll on.

Griffin isn't playing right now like the guy who couldn't be stopped who finished third in MVP voting, and while unusually moody at times by nature and still making faces at the officials, it now speaks to the inconsistency in his game.

And yet the Clippers still won a game here to wrestle away the home-court advantage, maybe the Durant MVP euphoria was the only thing that saved the Thunder from really going belly up.

As Kobe would tell everyone, the Clippers now have the Thunder right where they want them, and it's time to go for the kill.

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